Trump’s visit to Beijing set for May 14–15

News of a planned meeting between Дональд Трамп and Сі Цзіньпін has supported sentiment in agricultural markets. Trump confirmed that his visit to Beijing will take place on May 14–15, with a reciprocal visit by Xi to Washington expected later this year. Market participants view the talks as a potential step toward improving trade relations between the two countries.

Traders are closely watching whether the meeting could lead to increased Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans. Since late October, Chinese state-owned companies have bought around 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans, but this remains well below the previous season, leaving room for potential growth if political dialogue improves.

At the same time, U.S. exporters continue to face strong competition from Brazil. China is expected to further increase imports of Brazilian soybeans in the first half of 2026, supported by record production and competitive pricing, which may limit the impact of any political agreements.

Geopolitical developments, particularly around Iran, are also influencing market sentiment. Reports of a potential U.S. plan to de-escalate the conflict have raised expectations of stabilization, which could affect energy markets and, in turn, biofuel demand linked to soybeans.

Against this backdrop, CBOT prices showed modest gains: soybean futures rose about 0.2% to $11.74 per bushel, while wheat and corn increased by roughly 0.4% and 0.1%, respectively. Markets remain sensitive to further developments in trade negotiations and global geopolitics.